Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 21 Nov 2017

1. Government ‘agrees to pay more for Brexit’

There is a “broad agreement” among ministers that the UK will have to increase the amount it is offering to pay the EU as a “divorce” settlement, reports the BBC, citing a No. 10 source. No figure was discussed at a meeting held by Theresa May on Monday night, however. Meanwhile, the European Banking Agency is to move out of London.

2. Three face no action over Gaia Pope death

Three members of one family who were arrested over the disappearance of 19-year-old Gaia Pope in Dorset will face no further action after a post-mortem on her body found no indication that others were involved in her death. Pope’s father, Richard Sutherland, said she had “struggled” with health issues including epilepsy before her death.

3. Mugabe facing impeachment by own party

Zimbabwean autocrat Robert Mugabe is facing impeachment, with one MP from his Zanu-PF party saying: “We want to get rid of this animal.” The 93-year-old has refused to relinquish power, despite mass protests and the insistence of the country’s military, which has removed many of his close associates and put him under house arrest.

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4. Budget to extend railcard to 30-year-olds

In his Budget on Wednesday, Chancellor Philip Hammond will announce a new railcard for 26- to 35-year-olds, to complement the existing discount card for those aged 16 to 25. The new card will cost around £30 and entitle the bearer to a third off train tickets. Available from the spring, it has been dubbed the millennials’ railcard.

5. Underwater noise ‘not from missing sub’

The Argentinian navy says a sound heard underwater by two of its ships did not, as had been hoped, come from its missing submarine. It had been thought that the crew of the ARA San Juan, missing with 44 people on board since Wednesday, might have been making the noise to attract attention. The search continues, with international help.

6. Asteroid from other galaxy ‘carrying life’

A cigar-shaped asteroid named ’Oumuamua which looks as though it could be carrying the organic molecules that are the building blocks of life originated from outside our galaxy, astronomers have confirmed. Analysis via telescope suggests it is similar in make-up to material in our own solar system, suggesting life could exist elsewhere.

7. Russia admits being source of nuclear cloud

Following initial denials, Russia’s meteorological service has admitted that Russia was the source of a radioactive cloud detected over Europe last month, said to pose no risk to human health. Abnormal levels of radiation were detected at Argayash, 19 miles from the Mayak nuclear facility, site of the world’s third-worst nuclear accident, in 1957.

8. US host Charlie Rose accused of harassment

American talk show host Charlie Rose has apologised after being accused of the sexual harassment of several women. The claims, dating from the late 1990s to 2011, include groping and lewd phone calls. Rose issued an apology but said he did not believe all of the claims were accurate. He said he had always believed he was acting on mutual feelings.

9. Paul Hollywood: judges ‘abandoned’ Bake Off

Baker Paul Hollywood has accused his former fellow Great British Bake Off judges of abandoning the show when it moved to Channel 4, saying: “The girls abandoned it. But I was the one put under siege.” Hollywood, who announced on Monday that he is separating from his wife of 20 years, added that he did not set out to be a TV star, just “a good baker”.

10. Briefing: where will Hammond’s knife fall?

The Chancellor unveils his Autumn Budget on Wednesday, outlining the Government’s tax and spending plans for the coming 12 months. It’s a delicate balancing act for a fragile coalition government facing a year of upheaval.

Philip Hammond is under pressure to win back young voters who deserted the Conservatives in the June election. But if Hammond offers concessions at the expense of voters who rely on property investments and pensions, the Conservatives risk alienating their core supporters.

Budget 2017: what’s in Hammond’s red box?

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